Question

What is the major reason for a food chain to have limited trophic levels of only $3-4$?

• A. Population at each trophic level increases.
• B. There is lot of competition for survival.
• C. Energy loss at each level.
• D. Biomass at each level varies.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Energy loss at each level.

$10\%$ is the average energy value for the amount of organic matter that is present at each step and reaches the next level of consumers. Since so little energy is available for the next level of consumers, food chains generally consist of only a maximum of three or four steps. The loss of energy at each step is so great that very little usable energy remains after three or four trophic levels to be transferred or consumed.